I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Filed my claim 10 days ago, got approved, and still no account number letter. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the Tele-Cert option or that there were services to help get through to EDD faster. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: I called my local Assembly member's office yesterday and they said they have staff who specifically help constituents with EDD issues. They can sometimes expedite things or at least help you get through to the right person. It's worth a shot if you're really stuck and have tried everything else. Also, for anyone wondering about the letter itself - my neighbor got hers last month and said it came in a very thin, plain white envelope with just "EDD" in small print in the corner. She almost threw it away thinking it was junk mail. Definitely check everything carefully! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. It's frustrating that this is such a common problem, but at least we can help each other navigate it.

This is such a frustrating but apparently common issue! I'm actually going through something similar right now - filed 3 weeks ago, got approved, but my account number letter seems to have gotten lost in the mail. I've been putting off dealing with it but reading through everyone's experiences here has motivated me to take action. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that several people mentioned since calling EDD directly seems like a nightmare. It's reassuring to know that even if I miss my assigned certification day, I have a 14-day window to get it done without losing benefits. One question for those who successfully got their account numbers from EDD reps - did they ask for any specific documents or information beyond just SSN for identity verification? Want to make sure I have everything ready before I try to get through. Thanks to everyone for sharing their solutions and experiences!

One final note that might help your father: He should remember that at 65, he also has Medicare eligibility. If his previous employer was providing health insurance that's now ending, he should ensure he's enrolled in Medicare to avoid any gaps in coverage. There's a Special Enrollment Period when you lose employer coverage. Regarding his job search: There are programs specifically designed to help older workers find employment. The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is one such program. Also, California has workforce centers that offer specialized assistance for older job seekers. Wishing your dad the best of luck navigating this transition. It's challenging at any age, but with 27 years of experience, he has valuable skills to offer employers.

I went through something similar with my mom when she was 64 and got laid off from her office job. She was so worried about the whole process, but it turned out to be much more straightforward than we expected. The key thing is to apply right away - don't wait! And make sure your dad keeps good records of his job search activities. I created a simple spreadsheet for my mom to track where she applied, when, and any follow-up. It made the biweekly certifications so much easier. Also, if he's not super comfortable with computers, many libraries offer free help with online applications. The librarians at our local branch were incredibly patient and helped my mom navigate the UI Online system. Hang in there - this is definitely manageable!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My husband was denied benefits after being laid off because of an old misconduct issue from 2022, even though he's worked steadily since then. What I've learned from talking to other people in our situation is that the key is really understanding how they calculate those base periods. One thing that helped us was requesting a "wage and benefit statement" from EDD that shows exactly which quarters they're using for the calculation. Sometimes seeing the actual numbers makes it clearer whether the alternate base period would help your case. Also, if your husband's recent employer is willing to provide a letter confirming he was laid off due to lack of work (not performance issues), that can be really helpful documentation for the appeal. The whole process is so confusing and stressful when you're already dealing with job loss. Hang in there and keep pushing through the appeal process - from what I've read here, it sounds like many people do eventually get their benefits once they get in front of a judge who can actually review the details properly.

I went through this exact situation last year and want to share what worked for me. My husband was denied initially due to a 2022 misconduct determination, but we successfully appealed and got benefits based on his newer work history. The key things that helped our case: 1. We specifically requested recalculation using the alternate base period in our appeal letter 2. We included a detailed timeline showing continuous employment after the misconduct incident 3. We brought his most recent employer's layoff notice to the hearing that clearly stated "reduction in force" not performance issues The appeal judge was actually very reasonable and understood that the misconduct from years ago shouldn't disqualify him when he had substantial recent earnings. The whole process took about 6 weeks from filing the appeal to getting the decision, and he received all the backpay for the weeks he had certified. Don't let EDD's initial denial discourage you - the appeal process is where you can actually get a fair review of the situation. Make sure to emphasize how much he earned at the recent job and that the layoff was through no fault of his own. You've got this!

idk about yall but im so tired of jumping through hoops just to get whats owed to us. the whole system needs an overhaul fr 😫

From my experience, county babysitting work definitely needs to be reported to EDD. Since it's through the county, there's likely a paper trail anyway, so it's better to be upfront about it. When I had similar situation with part-time work, I found that being transparent from the start saved me a lot of headaches later. The EDD will calculate your partial benefits based on your total earnings, so you might still qualify for some unemployment while doing the babysitting work. Just make sure to report it consistently every time you certify!

To summarize what everyone is saying: 1. Severance typically counts as wages in California for UI purposes 2. How your severance was paid matters (lump sum vs. ongoing payments) 3. You likely did the correct thing by waiting until severance ended to file One additional point: your benefit year is still 12 months from when you filed in June, so you're not losing any potential weeks of benefits - you're just receiving them over a different timeframe. The maximum number of weeks you can collect in California is still 26 weeks within your benefit year. Since you're already receiving payments, focusing on maximizing your current benefits and job search is likely the best use of your time rather than trying to backdate the claim.

As someone who just went through a similar situation a few months ago, I can confirm you absolutely did the right thing! I was laid off in February with 12 weeks of severance pay and made the mistake of filing immediately thinking I could get benefits on top of severance. Big mistake - I had to report my severance income every two weeks during certification and received $0 in UI benefits until my severance ended. It was basically just extra paperwork for no benefit. When my severance finally ended in May, THEN I started receiving my weekly UI payments. Your approach of waiting until June was much smarter. You saved yourself months of pointless certifications and you're getting the same total amount of benefits anyway. Don't second-guess yourself - the system is designed exactly for situations like yours where people receive ongoing severance payments. The only time filing immediately makes sense is if you get a true lump sum payment all at once, but even then you'd only be eligible after that single week where you received it.